ABSTRACT

More than 220,000 women are estimated to develop ovarian cancer every year from around the world and about 140,000 died from this disease in 2008. Epithelial ovarian cancer results from malignant transformation of the ovarian surface epithelium that is in a continuum with peritoneum. Epithelial ovarian carcinoma is the leading cause of death from gynaecologic cancer in the United States. In the United States, cancer of ovary causes more mortality among women each year than all other gynaecologic malignancies combined. Estimated 21,650 new cases of ovarian cancer were diagnosed in the United States in 2008, and about 15,520 women will die to the disease and the lifetime risk of epithelial ovarian cancer is 1 in 70 women. Based on data from the American Cancer Society, the mortality rate of ovarian cancer has reduced signiicantly compared to the past few decades. Five-year survival rates have increased from 36% in the mid-1970s to 53% in the mid-1990s. Evidence suggests that the incidence of epithelial ovarian cancer in developed countries has been falling in all age groups since 1985. This may be attributed to widespread use of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) and reduced fecundity.